Method and brake disc assembly to utilize worn refurbished brake material

Abstract

A method and brake disc assembly to utilize worn refurbished brake material is disclosed. The method discloses the use of a brake disc for braking and the subsequent machining or refurbishment of the brake disc so that the brake disc can be used for three tours of braking to increase the utilization of the brake material.

1. A method to utilize a brake disc for braking wherein the brake disc is one of a group of rotor discs and a group of stator discs, the method comprising:
 using a brake disc having a first thickness for braking to provide a worn disc having a first worn thickness; 
 machining the worn disc to a first machined thickness to provide an once refurbished disc; 
 combining the once refurbished disc with a twice refurbished disc by a fastening element to provide a first combination of discs having a first combined thickness substantially the same as the first thickness; 
 using the first combination of discs for braking to provide a worn first combination of discs including a worn once refurbished disc having a second worn thickness; 
 machining the worn first refurbished disc to a second machined thickness to provide another twice refurbished disc; 
 combining the other twice refurbished disc with another once refurbished disc by a fastening element to provide a second combination of discs having substantially the first thickness; and 
 using the second combination of discs for braking to provide a worn second combination of discs, wherein each fastening element allows the combined discs to have substantially the same thickness as the brake disc having the first thickness so that any one of the combined discs can replace any one of the group of rotor discs and the group of stator discs, and each of the group of rotor discs has substantially the same thickness and each of the group of stator discs has substantially the same thickness in a braking tour. 
 
     
     
       2. The method as claimed in  claim 1 , wherein the worn first combination of discs has a first worn combined thickness and the worn second combination of discs has a second worn combined thickness substantially equal to the first worn combined thickness. 
     
     
       3. The method as claimed in  claim 1 , wherein the twice refurbished disc comprises at least one of a machined worn refurbished disc and the other twice refurbished disc. 
     
     
       4. The method as claimed in  claim 3 , further comprising discarding the machined worn refurbished disc of the worn first combination of discs. 
     
     
       5. The method as claimed in  claim 3 , wherein the machined worn refurbished disc is one of two initial discs each initially having the first thickness and used for braking to provide a worn initial disc, each worn initial disc machined to an initial machined thickness to provide a refurbished initial disc, the refurbished initial discs combined to provide an initial combination of discs having substantially the first thickness and used for braking to provide a worn initial combination of discs including worn refurbished initial discs, and at least one of the worn refurbished initial discs machined to the second machined thickness to provide the worn refurbished disc. 
     
     
       6. The method as claimed in  claim 1 , further comprising discarding the other twice refurbished disc of the worn second combination of discs. 
     
     
       7. The method as claimed in  claim 1 , wherein the braking is provided by an aircraft brake. 
     
     
       8. The method as claimed in  claim 7 , wherein the aircraft brake has a balanced brake disc assembly. 
     
     
       9. The method as claimed in  claim 7 , wherein the aircraft brake has a thick-thin brake disc assembly.